


an evening of hope

by giftedsun



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Introspection, My First AO3 Post, Pining, ending can be interpreted however u wish, gay girls, just girls been gay, kotonico, like a lot of introspection, listen i know approx. 0 people ship this but i LOVE THEM, nicotori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 14:24:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8894110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giftedsun/pseuds/giftedsun
Summary: Nico Yazawa is very, very gay, and pines a lot. Also, I'm bad at summaries.





	

‘ we're completely different, ’ Nico thinks, sometimes, and it's true. Kotori is sweet, kind, all smiles and kind gestures, whereas nico is brash. She's loud, irritating, and generally regarded as a pest. No one wants Nico around. Everyone wants Kotori around.

That last part might just be Nico's self-deprecating attitude getting the best of her, but still. The point stands.

But, sometimes there is something in Nico that hopes, and thinks, ‘ we're exactly the same. ’ And, maybe, it could be true. They both love costumes, and fashion. Both girls love candy. (whenever nico puts that on her list, she regards it as a desperate grab for some, any correlation). But, there is more. They both _hide_. Kotori and Nico both hide their desires, just in different ways. Kotori hides her secret feelings in smiles and laughs, and Nico hides hers with aggression, mostly. (quickly, examples: Kotori hid the fact that she was leaving the country for weeks, and she did it all with a smile on her public face. Nico, on the other hand, hid her true reasons for rejecting μ's as idols, and did it through antagonizing the members of the group.)

And so, when Nico is done consulting these mental lists again, she's fine. Or, at least, she pretends she is. Just like how she pretends she doesn't see Nozomi's simultaneously wry and knowing smile whenever Nico volunteers to make costumes. Just like she pretends she doesn't feel like she's been punched in the gut whenever Kotori smiles at Umi. It's okay. Nico Yazawa is a master of concealing her feelings.

It’s not like she’s blind, Nico’s pretty much known how Kotori feels about Umi since Nico joined muse. How could she have not? But Kotori is seemingly touchy-feely with _everyone_ , whether she’s instinctively putting her hands on Rin’s shoulders or giving Eli a hug carelessly. Except with Nico. Kotori tends to keep her at arm's length, and maybe even steers clear of Nico. She feels shut out because of it, like someone being walked around in a busy street, overdramatic as that may seem.

It wouldn’t feel so bad if there weren’t _moments._ Moments when Kotori and Nico are dancing next to each other (somehow they seem to always end up in formation next to each other), and Nico looks up at Kotori, when Kotori’s eyes are alive, alive, alive, and her smile is true. At that point Nico’s grin from doing what she loves usually expands into a smile full of hope.

But Nico is fine, she’s perfectly okay! She has muse, and she’s an _idol,_ she’s doing what she’s dreamed of since she was five! There’s no way all of that can be ruined by one girl, pssh, what are you talking about? Even if she isn’t, no one needs to know how Nico gets sick to her stomach whenever Kotori’s smile at her is the tiniest bit forced, or about Nico’s tendency to stare at Kotori’s eyelashes when she’s looking down at whatever costume she’s making. It’s not important. Nico’s feelings are insignificant, and Kotori and Umi are pretty much a thing anyways.

She ignores the tiny voice, which, shockingly enough, resembles Nozomi’s voice,  that whispers, ‘ maybe you could just talk to her. ‘  Nico is a coward, she knows, and not willing to change her terrible habit of running away.  The tiny voice continues to whisper, everyday, talking about destinies and how a good couple should be both similar and different. She knows full well that the ‘voice’ is just her trying to reassure herself.

* * *

Nico says nothing, as usual. What is there _to_ say? There’s nothing she can do except pine. She knows she’ll be left behind, after muse disbands. The first and second years are all so close, they’ll keep in touch with each other, and Nozomi and Eli have each other. She doesn’t expect to keep this wonderful sense of family she’s gained with muse. The very most she’s expecting to get is maybe a letter from Nozomi every few months.

She’s getting off track. The _point_ is, Nico knows that Kotori Minami is too good for her. That Nico is too much, too loud, too weird, for the sweet girl. But it’s fine, fine, fine, _fine_ , and she’s walking out of school, mind repeating this self-destructive spiel, when Kotori comes running up to her.

“Nico!” Kotori yells, pausing a bit to catch her breath. “Oh, good, I was afraid you’d left already!” Nico smiles, still wary of why Kotori needs her.

“Here I am. Er, what’s up, Kotori?”

Kotori’s eyes darken, slightly, and in the dim sunlight Nico almost can’t tell. But she notices. Nico always notices, with Kotori. But then the sandy-haired girl begins to speak, and Nico’s only focused on her words.

“Well, the thing is, I was just talking to Honoka and Umi, about something I was really worried about. Both of them told me to talk to you about it and I’m really, really scared, but is it okay if I do?” Nico nods her consent, and Kotori, with a slight sigh, continues on, “Nico, are you angry with me?” Nico is taken, aback, to say the least, but she covers it up.

“Wha-What? Me, mad at you? Kotori, no. Never. Who could be mad at you?”

Kotori’s blushing now, slightly, as she responds, “You always just seem… to stay away from me. I thought it was because you didn’t like me,” Her voice is almost a whisper now, “I thought I did something wrong.”

“No, no, _no_. I… I actually like you a lot, Kotori. And that’s a big compliment from the great Nico-Nii!” Nico strikes her signature pose, smiling as Kotori laughs. The smile doesn’t fade as Kotori wraps her arms around Nico, but it does move into a look of shock as Kotori whispers into her ear, “I quite like you too, Nico,” and slowly, kisses her on the cheek. As Kotori releases her, Nico’s blush is covering her whole face.

“Hey, Nico, walk me home?” The poor girl is too shocked and enamored to reply with anything other than a nod. Nico will take this, she is okay with this, she is _more_ than okay with this. The two girls, one a little in love, the other more than a _little_ in love, set off, arm in arm, content with themselves and each other.

**\-    FIN    -**

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! My name is Em and I really, really love kotonico even though I'm like the only person who ships them out of all the Love Live fans out there. This is my first AO3 post and I'd be really pleased if you left some comments or kudos! Thank you very much and have a swell day/night/whenever you're reading this.


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